Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-09-09
cruelty on the plains.

The enormous losses in the ranch cattle
industry since last fall directs attention to
the barbarous and inhuman way in which
that industry is carried ON. In Montana,
Wyoming and Idaho alone 5000 cattle
starved or were frozen TO death last win
ter. The "winter loss" in parts of Montana
was 80 per cent. Throughout Wyoming
it was 80 per cent Calves were the first
to die in Il season that killed so many full
grown cattle, and as the mortality was
great among the cows the number of calves
born last spring was very small. Discour-
aged by the oppression of the buying ring
and by these heavy losses ON the ranges
the ranchmen are now sending their sur
viving animals to market in unprecedented
numbers, with the intention in many cases,
it is said, of going out of the business. In
Chicago 200, 600 cattle, for the most part in
poor condition, have been received in the
last thirty days, and in one day of the
present month 10, 500 arrived at the stock
yards in that city.
In no other part of the world are the
sufferings of cattle so severe as ON our
Northwestern plains. And this is so be-
cause the ranchman usually makes no pro-
vision for feeding or sheltering his herds in
winter. The owner Of 10000 cattle may
have not one shed to shield his animals
from the killing winds and bliudng snow
storms-not one bushel of corn, not one
ton of hay for their sustenance when the
thin grass is covered with ice In the
warmer seasons the cattle are able to look
out for themselves, but in the winter the
ranchman trusts to luck and never knows
until the spring roundup" how many of
his unfortunate animals have survived.
A correspondent of the Evening Post,
writing from the range country in Wyom-
ing, shows how terrible have been the loss
es in certain districts with which he is ia
miliar Last October there came to Medi-
cine Bow IA herd of 300 New Mexican year
lings They were sold and turned loose
At the end Of the cold season only 100 sur
vived. OF 400 Utah yearlings turned loos,
last September only go are now living. Al
the meeting Of the Platte and Sweetwatel
rivers is high triangular table land bound
el on tHc HoIlh anu on lne southeast bN
cahons twelve or fourteen miles long. Tn,
cattle drifted from the west into this in
closure, driven by the cutting winds IA ,
spot from which they could not escape
Here they starved to death "A rang,
rider who has been up there since sprin,
opened, says this correspondent, told m,
that in some places ON this table land Ia,
could have walked for more than Il mill
without putting his foot to the ground, jus
stepping from one carcass to another o
the cattle that died during the winter
Another correspondent, describing in tn
latter part of last winter the losses on
Wyoming range, said
Elm one ravine, where the cattle used l.
find water lay 1867 dead, in "a little NOR
than miles distance. Most of them wer
lying down, often four or five piled togeth
err showing that they had stood in groups
striving by united effort 10 resist the dead
ly power of the freezing blast Calye
from six 10 eight months old lying by Ia
sides of their mothers were among ia
cummonest sights. AT one spot "A youn
calf lay half buried in the snow while Tia
poor mother stood over it with her nos
touching its neck At another spot stoo
a cow, stiiiened with cold, aud young cal
by her side standing in attitude to suck. L
another ravine 81 dead cattle were foum